Duplicity
by Voyfemme
Summary: Summary: Chakotay reflects on his experiences on being linked to the New Cooperative. JC, CT. Takes place immediately after Unity in Season 3
1. Chapter 1

**Part 7: Duplicity**

Summary:

Chakotay reflects on his experiences on being linked to the New Co-operative. (J/C, T C, C/F)

_Pairing:_J/C, T,C C/F _Rating_: PG-13 _Type of Story:_ Reflective _Level_: 2

* * *

**Part 7: Duplicity**

Chakotay sat on the couch of his Office, staring at the PADD in front of him. He knew that he had to make the entry, still it was very hard to begin. The experience had been overwhelming, intimate and overpowering. It was not something that he wanted to write in the official log, but he had to. 'Maybe it will be easier if I recorded it. Having made that decision, he put down the PADD next to him.

"Computer, begin recording."

The computer beeped to signal its acknowledgement.

"First Officer's Report.

While exploring the Necred expanse looking for a faster way through, Ensign Kaplan and I encountered a Federation distress signal coming from a planet. We entered orbit, and located the source of the distress signal. A couple of humanoids, class five, approached us and ignored our standard greetings and inquiries about the reason for their distress signal. They attacked us using energy weapons. After several exchanges of weapons fire, I saw one of the humanoids shoot Ensign Kaplan. I was also caught off guard and shot."

Chakotay gave a slight pause.

"When I regained consciousness, I was in a room with a human female who introduced herself as a Riley Fraiser. I later found out that it was actually part of a compound which housed several hundred humanoids. When I asked for the whereabouts of Ensign Kaplan, she told me that Ensign Kaplan was dead. She gave me an explanation of what she was doing so far away from Federation Space. I explained our situation to her. I asked to be taken to my shuttle, but she informed me that it had been stripped for parts. Her communications systems were not operational due to the attack that occurred the night before. I was still severely injured and ordered to rest under guard. When the guard was convinced that I was resting, I managed to leave the room where I was and go exploring in the compound. I saw several humanoids as I walked around. The inhabitants were made up of different races, some I recognized and some I didn't. They all had one thing in common, they seemed to be cyborg, organic life forms with mechanical appendages, and I had a suspicion of what they were. It was later confirmed when I saw Riley, without hair, and another person working on the circuitry in the back of her head.

They had been Borg.

I lost consciousness again. When I came to, I was informed that my head injuries were progressing. Since they had limited medical equipment and there was no sign of Voyager in orbit that there was only one way that they knew how to treat my injuries and prevent me from dying."

Chakotay paused again. Until now he realized that he could have given cursory information in his report about his experiences, but in this section he would be expected to provide as much detail as he could. The information that he provided maybe extremely useful in providing tactical information which could be used to defeat the Borg. It would be useful to Starfleet once they returned to Federation Space and it would be useful to them in the Delta Quadrant. They were no doubt getting closer to Borg Space.

"They wanted to initiate a neural link with me. The members of the former Borg still had neural processors implanted in their brains. Apparently, the neural link of the Borg not only transmitted information, but was also used to repair organic and inorganic parts of injured Borg, due to the nature of the energy used in transmission. The ex-drones could not remove the technology from their bodies as this would have resulted in death. I asked how they were planing to link me to them, as there was no way I was going to let anyone put a neural processor in my brain. They informed me that they would simply attach a neural transponder at the back of my spine and the short-range communicators would be able to channel their neural electric energy to the transponder and to my brain where it would be able to cure my injuries.

I resisted the idea at first however, when I saw that I had no other choice I agreed to the procedure. Being linked was almost an indescribable experience."

'Indeed it was' Chakotay remembered.

* * *

"_Don't be afraid Chakotay, we're here to help you_

_Open your mind to our thoughts, and concentrate on getting well"_

"Come on Grandaddy, let's go!"

Chakotay knew that she should not hurry Grandaddy, he was still frail as her mother kept on reminding her, but she just could not help herself. He had just gotten out of the hospital in China after undergoing a delicate surgery on his back. Grandaddy had been in and out of hospitals for most of the 7 years of her life and this was indeed the first time that she was able to pick bluebonnets with him in years. It had always been her favorite activity with him when she was younger, and the realization that she would be able to do so with him again, made her near faint with excitement. She had missed him in the years that he had been away from their Texas ranch and she had been scared when she realized that her Momma and Daddy had thought a year earlier that he was going to die. They hadn't told her any of their fears but she could sense the sadness that would befall her mother and father when they talked of Grandaddy to her. The house had gotten so quiet and on two separate occasions, her mother and father had been transported directly to the hospital in China from Texas instead of taking a transport to see Grandaddy, and they had left her behind. She hadn't known about death until Charlene, her schoolmate and neighbor, had told her about her Grandmomma's illness and death. Charlene had described the way that her parents had acted throughout her Grandmomma's death, and Riley drew some disturbing parallels between their behavior and the behavior of her own parents.

"Go on ahead, Sunshine and start picking, I'll get a big vase out so we can put it on the table for the Barbecue"

Riley danced her way onto the fields. She had collected a dozen stems by the time her Grandaddy came to her with the vase. As he arranged them in order with her help, Riley felt happier than she had ever been in years. Her Grandaddy was indeed better and home in time for their annual barbecue. Only everyone in the whole town was going to be there, and this year they had something extra-special to celebrate. She handed out a stem to her Granddaddy.

"Where do you want to put this one, sunshine, the stem is so full."

"That one is for you Grandaddy, for being home."

He smiled, laid down his walking stick and hugged her.

Riley felt the full effect of his healing

"_Feel the connection."

* * *

Chakotay looked at his son's precious little toes. He counted them again. He knew that they hadn't changed in number since he last counted them 5 minutes ago but he couldn't help it. 'My son', he thought. William looked at his son's sleeping face, his hands curled into little balls and watched his chest rise and fall as he took each breath. He felt something rise in his chest that he had never felt before. It was a sense of wonder, awe, pride and nervousness all rolled into one. He saw the promise, which was laying there in his arms, as he gently rocked him by the bay windows of his own house, and he knew what he wanted to do. He freed one hand and started the voice recorder for his mini holographic projector. He continued to rock Mathew as he began to speak._

"My son. You are only 3 days old and yet I feel that you have taught me one of the most important lessons that I will ever learn in my life. I look at you and I realize that my life has been filled and completed with your birth and yet I have the sense that it has only just begun. I have waited for you for a long time, however I know that I didn't do it well. I was so afraid that I pulled away from your mother and from you. I hid on my starship instead of being at your side and at your mother's side at the base. I was questioning how well I would be a father to you when I never had a good example of what that was."

William paused. A sadness filled his heart, but resolve replaced it quickly.

"But now that I see you and I count your fingers and toes, now that I was with you when you struggled to come into the universe, I get a glimpse of the enormity of the task ahead but I'm not afraid anymore. I promise you the best that I have to offer. I promise my presence, love, support, and challenge in all that lies ahead. No matter what happens to us, I will always love you. Remember that."

William stopped the recorder and looked at his son again. He remembered the hurt, anger and destruction that were the legacy that he inherited from his father. Now there was a peace, something that never was present whenever he thought of his father and what had happened. He felt the tears streaming down his face. He began to heal.

He felt a touch on his arm. He hadn't seen his wife Lanna coming towards him. She was also crying. He could tell that she had been heard what he had recorded. Her eyes told him, that while she had always understood what had happened when she was pregnant, she had now begun to forgive him. Lanna believed in the promise that he had recorded to his son and realized that it also extended to her. Her arms encircled him and her son. The pain that had always been a part of William's life since he could remember simply vanished on that day.

* * *

"_There is nothing to fear, we won't let you die_

_We are all one circle no beginning and no end"_

"Heyar O!"

His father began the healing chant.

Chakotay was only seven years old and gripped in the throws of the worst fever that he had ever felt in his life. He was so scared when it had come on. He had been playing in the cornfields when he felt it begin. He felt the nausea and the pain but he ignored it and continued playing with his cousins. Eventually it got so bad that he had to return home. His mother was the only person home at the time as his father was visiting friends in another village on their home planet. His mother had put him to bed made broth and soon after he drifted off to sleep. When he awoke, however, he felt worst than ever. The pain in his stomach had increased and there were new sharp pains in his sides. He began to scream in fear and pain and started crying. His mother came to him and he saw alarm on her face as she sent for his cousins to go to their communications center in the village and summon his father. By the time his father had arrived, Chakotay was sure that he was going to die. He knew that he shouldn't be afraid, that he was going to join his uncles and cousins who had gone on before him but he couldn't help it. He was scared out of his mind and the pain made the fear that much worst. His mother had to hold him still so that he wouldn't injure himself more by moving.

His father began placed the poultice on his bear chest and rubbed his face with oil, all the while chanting the prayers of healing. Chakotay tried hard to keep still, but he was still in pain during his father's admonitions and twitched periodically. When he was finished, his father kept his hand on Chakotay's face and began the final chant

"Heyyyyar OOOOOOOO!"

This time, the chant pierced him. Chakotay felt the connection with his father and curiously with others. He had a sense of his grandmother, his great aunt and uncle. He closed his eyes and imagined seeing them in a big circle, drawing his pain away from him and sharing their strength with him. He began to feel the fever leaving him. He looked up and saw that the circle had gotten wider, there were others, but they were not of his planet, some were not of his race. Suddenly he was part of the circle that gave strength to the wounded boy. He saw himself growing stronger, being healed and he experienced thoughts that were not his, although he was forming them,

"Chakotay" He softly said his name, and recognized his voice as Riley's.

Chakotay opened his eyes and saw his father smiling up at him.

"Father?"

His breath was raw and his throat felt sore, but he was going to be OK. He threw his hands around his father and hugged him and began to sob.

"It's OK, Chakotay, you're better now. You are well."

Chakotay had a sense of someone watching, of others hearing his jumbled thoughts at that moment, of others feeling what he was feeling. He welcomed them

* * *

"_You're safe with us, feel the connection,_

_See who we are,_

_Know us,_

_Our strength is your strength,_

_We can overcome your pain."_

Chakotay saw the Maheican long before his transport lights hit the injured animal in the road. He had been driving to Humthe and had become aware of the animal's pain and chaotic thoughts a hickar before he actually saw him. When he finally saw the animal in the Transport Path, he had decided what he was going to do. Climbing out of his transport he went to the animal and put his cathar to his body. The Maheican twitched uncontrollably; it was in the throws of death. Bellungth felt the magnitude of the animal's pain, the desire that the Maheican had for death. He understood the accident that had occurred. A transport out of control had hit him and left him for dead. Bellungth acted quickly as there was no time to lose. He turned his head to the stars and began to shift his essensar. He began to treat the animal's injuries. It was hard keeping focused, keeping his essensar flowing in the face of so much pain. His head ached, and he grew wearier and wearier by the count. Bellungth kept going. He was a Fanthar Healer. It was his job, his duty, his calling to heal, in whatever situation that he found himself.

Most Fanthar were not born with the gift of healing. Those who were, took that gift very seriously and were treasured in their own society. It had taken them centuries to over come prejudice and hatred because of the fact that only ten percent of the Fanthar population was born with the gift. Wars were fought, dictators came into power and were overthrown until one day, peace was negotiated and both types of Fanthar found that they were tired of fighting. Then understanding came, about who they were as a people, what values they wanted to espouse and desired for peaceful co-existence with one another. All Fanthar were declared equal, one type was no better than the other. Paradoxically, it was when they began to live that ideal, difficult as it was to at first, they discovered what it was that caused the gift of healing. When they were in conflict, years of research were conducted, but no one was able to discern the cause of the manifestation of the gift to some and not to others. In the end, it was decided that the gift should remain exactly that. A gift, Ono of many to be used to serve society, not something that should be forced upon an individual by science.

Bellungth was there for 45 counts before he felt the Maheican stop twitching in pain and his strength returning. He removed his cathar as the animal stood up. As he lumbered away, Bellungth could feel the animal's gratefulness for his healing.

He wiped away traces of the Maheican's pain from his essensar.

Chakotay felt his own pain ease as he did so.

"_We welcome you into our thoughts_

_You are not alone_

_You are safe with us"_

* * *

Chakotay sat on the park bench and looked out onto the bay. It was a warm spring night in San Francisco outside of Starfleet Headquarters. Jarren had his arms around him. Chakotay gave a deep contented sigh and snuggled closer to him. In response, Jarren turned his face gently and kissed him. Riley pulled away after a long time and took a long hard look at her lover. She enjoyed the thoughts and feelings that she had at that moment. She was struck by the rightness of the two of them together. It seemed that all of her searching for a mate had prepared her for meeting Jarren. She was not alone anymore. Her gaze softened with this knowledge. In his eyes, she saw the children that she would have with him, the homes, the careers and the experiences. She saw the challenges and she drank in the knowledge that they would face them together. Jarren 'read' what was in her thoughts at that moment and smiled at her. It was a smile of promise. She responded by kissing him

deeply.

* * *

"_Feel the Connection"_

Chakotay was sitting on the floor of a forest sobbing with his father beside him. He remembered this healing. The tears were of joy, acceptance, belonging and the knowledge and through whatever was to come, his father was with him. He hadn't lost his father when Trebus, his home planet, was destroyed. His father would forever be with him. He had gained a part of who he was on that day. All the denial of his heritage, all the anger and the pain that living in two worlds was for him were now of the past. He knew what he had to do. He understood then the rightness of his choices, of his actions as a member of the Marquis. He sensed people other than his father with him in his vision. He looked up and saw Riley, Orem, B'Ellard and the others. It was right that they should be here. He had invited them to see him at this moment. To understand some of the things that were most important to him. To understand him.

* * *

"_We can overcome your pain."_

Chakotay saw Vulcan through the viewport in his quarters. A relative calm came over him, something that he had not felt since the onset of his Ponn Farr. Still he felt as though he was drowning in a sea of emotion. Every seven years, it always surprised her what 'feeling' and experiencing emotion was actually like. Soon she, Sethar, would be joined with her mate to complete the bond that had been formed when they were children. They would do what must be done, what needed to be done. She needed Neevok and she knew because of their bond, he needed her also.

Much later, at their home, she felt a more complete calm descend as she discerned herself returning to normal. She could discern her thoughts becoming as focused as they always were. Her mind reached out and embraced once again the clarity that attaining logic afforded a Vulcan. She looked at her husband. She saw with her mind that he was also in the same process as she was. They were of one spirit, of one mind. They had been that way ever since they had been joined in the throws of their first Ponn Farr. She said simply,

"My husband"

His reply was the repetition of the promise that he had made every seven years for the hundred and forty seven years that they had been married.

"Forever."

It was the reconnection of oneself to the ways of logic and to the clarity that it afforded, that healed the pain of Ponn Farr for Sethar.

* * *

"_Our strength is your strength"_

The howl that came from his throat told Chakotay of his victory.

The blood stained Bath'leth above his head told of the its means.

The ten Romulan soldiers at his feet told of the its greatness.

B'Ellard saw the other Klingons of his crew join him as he continued to tell, though his war cry of the great battle which had been fought that day. They were standing on the bridge of the last Romulan Warbird that had been found in Klingon territory. When the fleet was discovered, this Warbird didn't leave the Klingon space as ordered, but stayed and tried to fight. They had been defeated, first in space combat and then in hand to hand combat after B'Ellard and his men had beamed over to continue fighting. They killed every Romulan on board although they had been outnumbered three to one.

When finally, the victory cry was finished, his first in command lead the other warriors in his crew in the song of his victory. Burtok started this song six years ago because he knew that his Klingon Captain would be instrumental in driving the Romulans out of their space. They were all prepared for the greatness of this moment.

B'Ellard looked at his warriors and felt the true spirit of Kahless among them. He felt that same spirit coursing through his blood at this moment as it had been when he was fighting the Romulans. His body should be aching with pain from all the cuts and bruises, broken bones and the collapsed lung. Blood poured forth from the wound on his back. He felt none of it. He felt instead the glory of the moment and in doing so the pain of his injuries was kept at bay.

* * *

"_Know us."_

"Lt Riley Fraser it is with great honor that we accept you in the Command Program at Starfleet Academy. Your new assignement would be the science officer on the Roosevelt"

Riley shook Admiral Kenneth's hand as a wide smile covered her face. She heard her parents cheering in the background and could imagine the sense of pride that crossed their faces. She felt it too. It has taken her a long time to get where she was now and she intended to enjoy every minute of it. They were leaving on a transport to go back to Texas as soon as the ceremony was finished. Riley smiled. Anther Barbecue with her family neighbors and friends. Sometimes it felt, that in order to remember the important things in her life, all she had to do was recall which Barbecue had accompanied it. The smile took a sad turn when she remembered that one person would not be there. Grandaddy had died three years ago.

* * *

"_See who we are"_

"For the development of the nerve toxin, n-alpha-2 which destroyed the renegade Romulan settlement of Surtar IV and ensured peace in Romulus for years to come, we welcome you into the Romulan Tal Shirar. Receive the secret oath." Orem felt the implanted memory engrams activate, enabling him not only to remember the oath, but his pass codes and security clearance which would be used for the rest of his life.

He had prepared for this day. It was the day that he dreamed of ever since he left the medical service and plotted and schemed to be considered for the Tal Shirar, the most exclusive, the most effective intelligence agency in the quadrant. He already knew what his first assignment was. He was confident that the success of that assignment and the others to follow would lead the Romulan Empire to greatness

* * *

"_Feel the Connection"_

"By the decree of this court, your initial charge of guilty for the act of treason still stands." Chakotay looked at the defendant's family.

"Does the family wish to disown him publicly?"

"Yes we do."

With each member's renouncement, Tuleth's pride grew. She looked at Gul Cadak. He was broken by his interrogation, which had gone on for months, and by the court's final ruling. He knew that he was going to be found guilty, after all that was the way that their justice system worked. He knew that he could have been executed for a lot lesser crime, he was ready for that scenario. It was the length of the trial and the 'intensity' of the interrogation that broke him in the end. Cadak had come to understand exactly how different it was to be the one 'interrogated' to the one 'interrogating' during the trial.

This case had been difficult for Tuleth and the Cardassian justice system. They knew that Gul Cadak was guilty, but they couldn't prove it. Normally it wouldn't matter, but in a case like this one it was of paramount importance that they found out exactly how it had been done because Cardassian security had been compromised. Cadak had done the unthinkable and the unforgivable. He had sold Cardassian secrets to the Klingons. For this case, no trumped up charges and false evidence would do, they needed real evidence.

It had taken Tuleth and her staff six months of treachery, bribes and interrogation before she they could uncover the means of Cadak's treachery. The only reason that it took such a short time was because of the help that they got from the Obsidian Order. They were embarrassed by the situation since Cadak was one of their members and they had not detected his treachery until it was too late.

Now it was over.

Later, she watched Gul Cadak being executed. She gave him credit for meeting his death with as much dignity as he had left. He had not begged, preached or pleaded. He did not call on previous friendships, as a Cardassian Gul or as a member of the order. She watched when the final act of torture caused his eyes to roll to the back of his head, silently signaling his death.

"Hunanna, Hunanna, how was your day?"

Hellak and Sevek came racing to the door when they heard Tuleth come into the house. She stooped down and hugged them. Her grandchildren had lived with her ever since her daughter and son-in-law had died in combat with the Klingons

"It was a very good one Humannalas."

Indeed it had been. Tuleth felt a great measure of peace. With his exposure, Cardassian security had undergone a detailed investigation for any other hints of treachery and the necessary measures had been taken to ensure that all of the compromised measures had been eradicated. . Her grandchildren would not be taken from her by the actions of Cadak or any like him. As her daughter was. Somehow the pain of her loss was lessened that day.

* * *

"_We can overcome your pain"_

Chakotay was running as hard and as fast as he could. It wasn't fast enough. Soon the beings of this species would be upon him and they would make good of their threat. They would assimilate him. He was groaning as he ran. Maylar had never been in any shape to do physical exercise since he was 7 years old. He had developed the phage at that age. Now he was in an even worst state than before. His organs were grafted only three months ago right before he started the trip, but with the rigors of travel, they had degraded a lot faster than anticipated.

With every breadth that he forced out of his body, he cursed the phage, himself and the species that lead him to this one. The Borg, that's what they had called themselves. The Covar had told him about this incredibly advanced species, part human and part mechanical, who had medical technology which was far more advanced than any thing that the Vidians had ever heard of or developed. Maylar had taken a single ship to see if he could contact these people and ask for their help. He knew, as one of the leading doctors of the Vidian Solidarity, that they had never been harvested as a race and as a result would have no reason to resent the Vidians. On his way there, he was intercepted by a cube and in a desperate attempt to escape had crash landed on a planet. It was there that he was trying to escape the one Borg who had come after him.

Eventually the Borg caught up with him and when their vicious looking tubeoles pieced his skin he screamed in excruciating pain. A moment later there was none. For the first time in 37 years of life, Maylar was free from the pain of the phage, he looked at his captor in amazement in silence and he realized that his gaze was also lined with gratitude. It mattered not to him that his body was not his own and that he was moving with the Borg, but not of his own free will. They had been transported back to the cube and all around him Maylar could see the vast amounts of wires, conduits and bulkheads that comprised the ship. His look of amazement did not leave his face when he began to spout Borg implants and they began to operate on him. He felt his flesh regenerate until it was supple for the first time in his adult life. He felt his physical strength return. Strength he had not known since he was a child. Once his neural link was established, he felt the strength of the Collective. Maylar knew that he would never be alone again, would never be shunned because of the phage again. He was now one of a powerful many. Information poured through the link. He almost wept with joy as he realized that his dream of exploration would be realized as a Borg drone. His last individual thought before it was permanently shoved aside was the wish that his society could all be assimilated so that they would know the healing that he had experienced because of it.

* * *

"_We will not let you die."_

It seemed to Four of Seven of secondary matrix 011, that once assimilation of a new race occurred, the entire collective would pause for a nanosecond. Every drone would be receiving the new data which was transmitted through millions thousands of light years across the neural link. It was no different when species 8251 was assimilated. Once the assimilation was complete, the entire collective worked at interpreting the biological and technical distinctiveness that they had acquired and seeing where it could be used. There was a lot of interpretation to do. Species 8251 bodies' natural ability to channel their electrochemical energy for the purpose of healing was one of the abilities that lead the Borg to desire their assimilation. In five hours, the Collective had found a way to imitate this ability and use it to repair damaged drones through their shared neural link. The Collective's biological and technical distinctiveness was greatly enhanced that day.

The ex-Fanthar Borg drones, once fully converted, also began to receive information across the neural link about what their new lives would be like. They began to understand that though they had initially resisted assimilation, it was good that they had been defeated in the end. The Borg had learnt of Species 8251 from Species 8235, a violent paranoid race who were bent on destroying Species 8251 because they feared their abilities once they had heard of it. Their technological distinctiveness was impressive, even though as a species they lacked cohesion and focus. It was a good thing that they were assimilated. They would eradicated species 8251.

* * *

"_Hear our voices"_

"You will never belong to that life and if leave you will never belong to this one, you'll be caught between two worlds"

"You're Chakotay, I'm Seska"

"Who is she to be making these decisions for all of us?"

"She is the Captain"

"In that way, the angry warrior began to know the true meaning of peace"

"No matter what happens, we'll make it remember that"

"Watch over a boy named Kar-dane who has a difficult path to travel"

"On this day of sorrow and uncertainty, I pray that the wisdom of my father find me."

"Like something worth living for."

Chakotay invited them all into his life. Their insights into his thoughts, feelings and reactions as they experienced them for the first time from their different cultures and ideals, furthered his own understanding of his experiences. He felt safe with them. The constant pain that he had been in because of his injuries seemed greatly diminished. He didn't know how long he was linked, he didn't care. The experience was unlike anything that he had ever experienced and he knew that he would never experience anything like it. He closed his eyes. It felt good to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"I was able to feel the neural energy flowing to my head and I felt the pain of my injuries lesson. The means of accomplishing this seemed to be the projection of thoughts, memories and feelings of the people linked to me. There were eight people in the link beside myself, Riley and another human, a Cardassian, Klingon, a member of a species called the Fanthar, a Vulcan, a Vidian and Orem who was the medic who tended to me. He was Romulan. I was able to experience their memories and they experienced mine. Many of them seemed specific to healing although there were one or two memories which were not. It was as if I was experiencing what it was like to be them and I was able to see myself through their eyes. Eventually a sense of peace overcame me and I fell asleep."

That what he had officially logged. It was a far cry from the actual experience.

"Computer pause"

Chakotay heard the beep as he picked up another PADD which was lying next to him. He began to read.

"Once fully assimilated, orders are received via the neural link which is imbedded in every drone. The voices that are heard over the link are an amalgamation of the entire Collective. There are different tones, but essentially one voice and one thought. There seemed to be an undercurrent of a different distinct voice who was in authority under the Collective, but I was never able to distinguish it. It seemed impossible that a Collective, which was so vast and spread out over such great distances, could form one such cohesive thought. That one this thought could form one directive, one plan of action and orders to implement that plan of action, for the various different tasks that the Borg were active in. But it was done every nanosecond of very day. When the orders are given, the whole being of the drone responds to carry out that order as they have been altered to do. The person's individuality cannot control what the drone does or even thinks, all it can do is lay dormant and watch in horror, when all the values that it has ever embraced, all the promises that it has ever made be destroyed, as the drone carries out the will of the Collective."

Picard's experience of being assimilated by the Borg was made known to the command crew of every starship in the Federation's Fleet. He was the only known survivor of the process. He could almost hear the voice of Picard getting angrier and raspier as the log went on. He understood. Chakotay had not been fully assimilated as Picard had been, and thankfully he had not been responsible for the death innocent lives, yet he was still enraged by what he had been forced to do. He couldn't imagine what Picard would have had to face after he had been rescued from the Borg. Having to live with the memory of Wolf 359 must be unbearable at times.

"Captain Jean Luc Picard's log dated 44084.7 includes a correct summary of what a person experiences when under the influence of the Collective Will of the Borg."

He made no distinction between the Borg that Picard had encountered and the ones that he did. All were the same. He began to understand that once one had been assimilated for a long time, there was no way to get rid of the Collective way of thinking and of doing things.

* * *

"_Chakotay can you hear us"_

At first it was faint, like an echo of what once was, but there was something different to the voice now, it held a desire of sorts.

"_Chakotay, we need your help"_

It was sudden, the loss of control his thought and his actions, and unexpected. He didn't even know that he had lost it until the next moment.

"I'm going to tell the doctor that he needed to look at you as soon as we get back. Torres to Sickbay."

He knew what he had to do.

"Don't do that." His phaser was drawn. It was then that all that was Chakotay, his soul, his individuality realized that he was not in control of his thinking and his actions anymore.

"Chakotay give me the phaser."

It was too late for that.

"_Transport to 47-omega. _

_The bunker is under attack. _

_47-omega section 9, mark coordinates_

_We are under attack_

_9-alpha-alpha_

_We must hurry, the bunker is under attack_

_47-omega section 9, _

"_**I am sorry Chakotay. I hope one day you can forgive me"**_

The thought, very faint, had come from Riley and was directed towards Chakotay's soul. He almost missed it as she joined the collective voices again.

It was also too late for that.

_We are under attack"_

He transported, he didn't know where he was supposed to be going, although the New Cooperative did. They could not do anything more that project their will on him. He was left with his own tricorder and their lingering memories of where he was supposed to go.

"_Proceed to interlink consul 3-beta-6_

_Hear our thoughts, _

_Our thoughts are one_

_Interlink consul -beta-6_

_Hear out thoughts."_

He heard voices. They were of the Voyager crew, he recognized them, but he knew that he had to avoid them, so he did. His soul was triumphant. They would stop him. They would stop him before he got a chance to do whatever it was that he was supposed to do.

"_Lower right panel,_

_Attach power conduit 166_

_Hurry! Pathway pie-2_

_We are under attack, pathway pie-2_

_Activate Neural electric generator quickly._

NO

_Power circuit mechanism_

_Activate the neural generator_

_HELP US!_

_We must activate the neural electric generator now_

_Chakotay need your help, _

_LOSING TIME!_

NO, I WILL NOT.

His will struggled even harder now. The directive was issued by a panicked voice now. Chakotay did not know if this was because he was fighting them harder, or if it was the result of the threat that the New Co-Operative was under.

"Commander, step away from that consul or I will be forced to fire."

_YOU MUST NOT LET THEM STOP YOU!_

_YOU MUST DO THIS!_

And he fired on Tuvok, he had no choice. He could not break free of the will of the Cooperative. Someone caught him with a phaser blast and it caught him. He welcomed the darkness of the stun. He had not been able to complete the directive of the will of the co-operative and that what was most important.

_YOU MUST MOVE POWER MECHANISM TO POSISTION 1!_

Even though his mind was shutting down, they were able to control his body so that his last action was to do their exact bidding before he lost consciousness.

* * *

"Captain Jean Luc Picard's log dated 44084.7 includes a correct summary of what a person experiences when under the influence of the Collective Will of the Borg. When I was first linked to the eight members of the New Co-operative who healed me, there was no force of any kind. Neural electric energy was transferred to me via the link. Since I knew that it was going to cure me, I welcomed the thoughts, memories and images. It was as if we were sharing information only. There were no commands given, no orders, I did not know at the time that if I wanted to resist, I could not. The second time, resistance to the commands given across the link was indeed futile. It felt as if, my will, my individuality was shoved aside to make room for another, and try as I might I was not able to take control of my body and my actions. My actions were those of one possessed. I find it hard to believe that they were able to do such without a neural processor embedded in my brain. Somehow or the other the energy which is used as the basis for transmission in the link must be responsible for chemical and physical changes in a person's biology that makes resistance to a command transmitted over the link impossible. If it had not happened to me, if it did not have such terrible consequences I would find this ability of the neural electric energy to be truly fascinating. As it is, I am glad when I realize that all research done to will be in order to prevent this technology from ever stripping an sentient life of their individuality.

End log. "

Chakotay sat on his couch and let his body go slack. Making the official log had taken a lot out of him. He felt as if he had re-lived the experience in telling it.

The door chime sounded.

Chakotay sighed, he really did not feel like dealing with day to day ship's activities right now.

"Computer who is at the door?"

"Lt Torres." came the answer.

"Come." His voice authorized her access into his office, but he did not change his position on the couch. He felt as if he didn't have to with Lt Torres. She had seen him in far worst conditions than this.

B'Elanna came striding into the room and stopped when she realized that Chakotay was not in his usual position behind his desk. She located him at the couch and noted his body position on the couch. She came over and sat next to him. Chakotay felt guilty when he noted the PADD that she had been carrying. He had been away for a week, there were a lot of things that he was behind in and needed to be attended to. He straightened up on the couch.

"What do you have?"

"The Captain asked me to give you a copy of our Medical/Engineering Reports during the Borg Cube/New Cooperative encounter. She wanted you to cross reference them to what you wrote as your official report to see if we could find out any more information about the Borg that we could use in a tactical situation."

"Thanks," He began to scroll through the report.

B'Elanna studied him. She asked tentatively. "How are you doing?"

"After you beat me in three straight games of Hoverball, how do you think I'm doing?" he smiled at her.

"Your mind was not on the game that much last night, I knew that I was going to beat you. The experience still weighs heavily on your mind doesn't it?"

"Yes it does. It will take some time."

"Are you still thinking about her?"

"What?"

This time it was B'Elanna turn to smile. Chakotay looked like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"I know you Chakotay. You were intimate with her weren't you?"

It occurred to Chakotay that he could lie to B'Elanna or even tell her to mind her own business. But he didn't want to.

"Yes." He hesitated a little before continuing. "It happened after the link was severed the first time." Something occurred to Chakotay and he frowned. "Or at least when I thought it was severed. There were residual effects of the link for about an hour after the transponder was removed from my the base of my neck. When we were linked the first time, I realized that Riley's interest in my thoughts was different from the others. One of the thoughts that she chose to share with me was rather intimate, and I could feel her studying me as I experienced her memory of that incident. Afterwards when I shared what I thought about my experience with the link, I could still hear her thoughts and I realized that she wanted to be sexually intimate with me while we still had the lingering effects of the link. I realized that I had wanted that too."

* * *

Chakotay awoke and realized that Riley was not in bed with him. He lay in the silence of the morning thinking about the night before.

It had been incredible. More incredible than the link had been before. He had felt her desire towards him and he knew that she felt his. He knew because he was feeling it also. When they first touched, she touched herself. It was one of the most erotic things that he had ever felt. He reached out and touched himself and he knew how she responded when she felt his touch, because he responded in like fashion. That was just the prelude to the actual lovemaking. When they touched each other, the sensations that each felt were heightened to the n-th degree. For the first time in his life Chakotay knew what it was as a man to be on the receiving end of male sexual intimacy. He understood how the sensations gave pleasure to a woman, and felt that pleasure more than he would ever feel again. He also understood what it meant to be the giver of female sexual intimacy as he had always felt what it was like to be on the receiving end.

The link facilitated something else that made the experience truly unforgettable, was that he knew this woman with whom he was making love. He understood her, he had lived pieces of her life through the link. Had experienced what she experienced and felt what she had felt on an intellectual level as well as on an emotional level. Riley Fraser was strong, brave wise, beautiful, vulnerable, compassionate, persistent and intelligent. He knew her and in his knowledge possessed her completely in the physical act of their lovemaking. He would never possess anyone like that ever again. He would never possess himself like that again. Because of the link, possessing her was possessing himself. Chakotay had felt safe, happy, fulfilled, complete being with her, in her, and for her. He knew that Riley felt the same way.

The ability of the link in enabling two individuals to be that close was flabbergasting. After the two experiences of being linked to others, he found it hard to imagine being alone, an individual, never again to share with another on the level that the link had afforded. He wondered how Riley, Orem and the others found life without the effects to the link.

The effects of being severed were certainly apparent. If the ex-members of the Borg on this planet were still linked, there would be no more raids, no more hostilities and cultural intolerance. One will, one mind and one thought.

A thought struck him.

"Come on Chakotay, get out of bed sleepy head." Riley appeared naked in the room, using her towel to swat his bear buttocks.

"You promised to help us work on the communications array."

He laughed and rolled out of bed.

"I'm going, I'm going."

"Our lovemaking was a very intimate experience because of the effects of the link. I don't think that I will ever experience anything like that again." Chakotay marveled at his ability to understate his experiences.

He grimaced. "My track record in picking the wrong women to be intimate with seems to be getting better and better."

B'Elanna snorted. "I'll say". Too late B'Elanna realized that he was making a joke at his own expense. Chakotay got up from the couch and moved to the view port.

"The horror of it is I knew her better than I knew myself and she still managed to manipulate me like a puppet." He said quietly, his back to her.

B'Elanna got up and slowly went to the viewport. She realized when she got there that she had nothing to say. She touched his back lightly.

"I'm sorry Chakotay."

"So am I."

B'Elanna hesitated for a moment and then walked out of his office. Chakotay remained where he was standing for a long time, looking at the stars as they moved towards the alpha quadrant.


	3. Chapter 3

"Come in"

Kathryn sat in her ready room going over the reports that had been made by Tuvok throughout their New Cooperative/Borg experience. She had been through it twice before, but she wanted to go through it one more time. She realized that they were quickly approaching Borg space and she was going to need every piece of information at her disposal to face the challenge that was ahead of them.

B'Elanna walked in. "Captain, I would like to talk to you, do you have a minute?"

Kathryn smiled. "Of course. Join me." she gestured towards the couch.

"Would you like anything to drink."

"No thanks. It's about Chakotay."

Kathryn nodded. Somehow she knew that was what she wanted to talk about. It amazed Kathryn sometimes the protective instinct that Chakotay and B'Elanna had towards each other. It seemed unlikely given the differences in their natures, that they would be such good friends.

"Have you spoken to him since he got back?"

Kathryn thought about breakfast that morning. "No I haven't been able to."

"I just came from his office. He and Riley were intimate Captain."

Kathryn gave a sharp intake of breath as the jealousy cut through her like a knife. It was a confirmation of what she had deduced by observing him throughout the encounter. Still it was surprising how her intense her feeling were.

B'Elanna misinterpreted the look that she saw cross her captain's face. "Yes, that's the reason that he is taking what happened to him very badly. I talked to him briefly, but I know Chakotay and I know the limits of our friendship. I don't think that he will open up to me a lot more about it, but I think that he needs to talk."

She gave a deep sigh and continued. "I guess what I'm asking you to do is but in. He'll try to keep you at a distance but see if you can reach him, be as persistence as you can. He needs all of his friends right now."

Kathryn was about to ask B'Elanna how she knew that he would open up to her. But she sensed that her officers were not blind nor stupid. It was obvious how close the Captain and First Officer were.

Until now.

Kathryn shook the thoughts out of her head. She smiled.

"Aye Lt." B'Elanna returned the smile and left Kathryn to her thoughts.

She touched her combadge. "Kathryn to Chakotay."

In his Office, Chakotay was startled by her call. She had never used her first name over the Com before.

"Chakotay here."

"Join me for dinner tonight, my quarters?"

"Is that an order?"

"Do I have to make it one for you to join me?"

He chuckled. "No you don't. 1900 hrs OK?"

"Fine, Kathryn out."

Chakotay sat down at his desk with a sigh and took the first PADD on his desk and began to read. He had a lot of work to do. In her office, Janeway did the same.

* * *

"Sometimes I wonder what they are doing now and especially how they are doing it."

Chakotay pushed his plate aside and took a sip of his drink. Kathryn sat opposite him and studied his face as he made this statement. They were sitting in her dinning room talking over the remainder of their dinner. The entire evening's conversation was about their experiences with the Borg and the New Co-operative. Chakotay had told her about some of the things that he had found out about the people in the New Co-operative through his being linked with them. Kathryn listened with her full attention, she was eager to find out anything, any information which would help her discern how the collective worked. She was also grateful that he did not share his personal experiences with Riley. Kathryn knew that she did not want to know any of it. She had done her part to keep the discussion as professional as possible without losing the ease at which the experiences were shared. It seemed that Chakotay had realized this and had done his part to ensure that the discussion was professional.

"Why is that?"

"I can't help thinking about Riley and Orem and the others and what they wanted for their community. In a lot of ways the Borg thinking has some parallels in Federation values."

"How does violent assimilation have any parallels to peaceful co-existence?" Kathryn frowned, she didn't think she liked where this conversation was heading.

"I think that there are parallels between us before a point where a line is drawn and we go very divergent ways after that. I think that the line is defined by the answer to the questions, 'What price are we willing to pay for peace? How far will we go to attain achieve peaceful co-existence with others?"

"Go on." Kathryn said intrigued.

"If you think about it, all the species of the Federation have had a barbaric period in their history. Humans, Vulcans, Betazoids, Bolians, Catarians to name a few. When First Contact was initiated between Vulcan and Earth, it was at the end of a particularly savage era for us. But we survived and with the effects of first contact, we were able to come together in true unity, to work at rebuilding our society. We were able to eradicate war, hunger, poverty and disease. Then we joined together and we formed the Federation. It took time, but we united our corner of the quadrant and then we expanded, pushed out against the boundaries of who we were, what we knew. We wanted to know more of what was out there. We made our share of mistakes, but we learnt. We approached other races in peace. We wanted to learn and to understand their ways, their cultures. To share our technologies to attain peace through co-existence, not subjection. Some of the new races were willing to respond in like to our approaches, others were not.

Others were willing to take by force what was not theirs. They had not interest in sharing. Their value systems are too different. The conflicts which ensue cannot be resolved, the price of peace was too high for both parties involved, so we waged wars.

"Chakotay, the Federation has not been at war for over 80years!"

"Not officially, but we have been involved in squirmishes, boundary disputes and political disagreements. The causes and results are the same. Intolerance played out resulting in death destruciton, homelessness and the slaughter of the innocent. Any name that you give it, it is still war. And somehow, in fighting others we've learned to fight ourselves again."

"You can't possibly think that our directive seeking out new life and new civilizations was the cause of the situation in the de-militarized zone?" Kathryn looked at him in surprise.

"No, I don't. But you can't deny that if some members of the Federation had decided that the price for peace with the Cardassians was too high, we would not be fighting each other now."

She couldn't deny it.

"The Borg are different and yet the same. They seem to crave the peace and the harmony that comes from one collective mind, one collective will. The good of the many is the good of the one. The different cultures, technological advances are used to add to the Collective's knowledge and betterment. There is one way, the way of the Collective. When I was linked to the New Cooperative, there was a former drone who was Vidian. I can't describe the joy that he felt when he realized that in being assimilated he was cured of the phage forever. He regarded his life as a drone, much better than any life he would have had as a Vidian individual. The Borg's way of peace, of exploration of understanding of other cultures is done violently. It is done through assimilation and the destruction of entire civilizations and cultures. There is no price of what they consider peace that it too high for them. They don't take lives, they take souls, individuality if you will, and for our culture that is a higher price than death to exact from someone."

"Now we have the new co-operative, endeavoring to the mixture of Federation and Borg societies. They want to keep their individuality and cultural identity but still be one harmonious community. Is it possible?"

"I don't know, but by the way that they acted in saving us from the cube, preventing us from being assimilated. You could see that they were functioning as a group of compassionate individuals I would think that it was possible." Kathryn replied.

"Really? Now what happens if one person has a thought that is contrary to what the majority believes. What if others join in, but there is still a minority who believe in the dissident thought. Whose thought is taken as law?"

"I supposed that the majority would."

"Eight people Kathryn, that's how many people decided that the thousands of people on that planet should be joined together and be linked. I have a good idea whose thoughts and objectives will be catered too."

"You're saying that in this instance the price of peace, or the means of attaining peace was too high. That in using the Borg neural link and attaining peace by force, by coercion, the new co-operative have shown that they were no different from the Borg. I'm surprised Chakotay, I thought that you had agreed to Riley's proposal."

"I don't think that I was objective to it at first. But that was because of my first experience with the link. After the second, I realize what a great potential for abuse lies in it. In this case, the ends...

"Do not justify the means" Kathryn finished for him. She looked worried. The look of anger on his face spoke volumes

The End

**Part 8: The Dark Pages**

**Page 1: Scorpion's Sting**


End file.
